The Aickmere Brothers Department Store
Aickmere Brothers is a once grand and illustrious department store that fell from a position to world fame to that of mediocrity and tatty goods. Though presumably founded by the Aickmere Brothers, it is currently overseen by Samuel Aickmere, a descendant of theirs, as it is stated that he is the fourth generation of his family to run the store. During the book The Hollow Boy, Lockwood & Co. accompanied by Quil Kipps' Team enter the store as they believe it to be the centre of The Chelsea Outbreak, and therefore somewhat related to the cause. What they find are extreme supernatural forces, which tear the department store apart, causing it to go into a "Fire Sale" as seen in the newspaper after all is said and done. Aickmere's was constructed in 1872 and expanded greatly around 1910 to 1912, according to Georges research. Aickmere's was also unfortunately constructed on top of The King's Prison, a horrifying establishment of pain and death from medieval times, and so is heavily haunted, despite what Samuel Aickmere claims. Departments The Arabian Hall A very famous part of the building, also known as "The Hall of Wonders", constructed about 100 years before the events of The Hollow Boy according to George. When it was first unveiled this hall supposedly featured fire eaters, belly dancers, and even a caged live tiger, though nowadays it serves mostly as the home for the Visitor Defences Department, where ghostproofing items such as silver and lavender are sold. Haberdashy One of the departments the phantom air-raid wardens were supposed to have fallen through on their way to the ground. Home Furnishings One of the departments the phantom air-raid wardens were supposed to have fallen through on their way to the ground. Cosmetics The department the phantom air-raid wardens were supposed to have landed in, so ending that particular re-enactment of their fall. Hauntings Aickmere's plays host to many visitors, some more dangerous than others, from their many, many mannequin-esque phantoms, to the terrifying Aickmere Poltergeist or the sly Aickmere Fetch. When it comes to hauntings disposed of prior to the events of The Hollow Boy, there are very few cases, most notably that of several air-raid wardens who were stationed on the roof of the store in 1944 and were killed in a Blitz Bombing, causing the store to be shut down for six months. Twelve years prior to the events of The Hollow Boy, the air raid wardens phantoms began appearing and reenacting their fall, except this time phasing right through several reconstructed floors on their way down. However the bone fragments that were their source were located and destroyed, bringing about an end to the phantoms. Trivia * There was a plague pit constructed quite near to where Aickmere's would eventually be built, while plague pits normally show psychic activity and are a common cause of Cluster Hauntings, it is unclear if the plague pit contributed in any way to the department store phantoms.